Darwin Nunez's move to Liverpool has seen Manchester United miss out on their top striker target this summer, leaving new manager Erik ten Hag to consider alternatives.

But he is not the only United boss to taste disappointment in the market, with Sir Alex Ferguson repeatedly failing to land the players he was convinced would become Old Trafford icons.

With that in mind, GOAL has chosen 10 of the standout players who the Red Devils wanted, but never managed to bring to Old Trafford…

Getty ImagesAlan Shearer

The ultimate one that got away for Sir Alex Ferguson.

As all-conquering as Ferguson’s United were, how much better would they have been with Shearer at the point of their attack?

Would Blackburn Rovers have beaten them to the Premier League title in 1995 without Shearer banging in the goals?

And just how lethal would he have been on the end of David Beckham’s service?

Twice Ferguson missed out on signing the Premier League’s all-time leading goal-scorer – but it was the failure to lure him to Old Trafford in the summer of 1996 that felt most costly.

Even with Eric Cantona’s ailing powers and a misfiring Andy Cole, United still reached the Champions League semi finals, only to waste a glut of glorious chances against Borussia Dortmund to exit the competition.

It is hard to imagine Shearer not making the difference in that European campaign.

AdvertisementGettySadio Mane

Louis van Gaal has had a lot to say about United’s failure to deliver in the transfer market during his tenure at the club, and perhaps Mane is the standout example of the targets that Ed Woodward missed on during the Dutchman's reign.

When United’s interest in the then-Southampton forward emerged in 2015, it was seen as a surprise move – even if the Senegal international had impressed at St Mary’s.

And even when Mane signed for Liverpool for £34m the following summer, few expected him to develop into one of the finest attackers in the world.

Mane’s proposed move to Bayern Munich this summer will bring to an end a spectacular six years on Merseyside where he has won the lot while United have barely tasted any success.

Getty ImagesJohn Barnes

Ferguson only had himself to blame for failing to beat Liverpool to the signature of Barnes when he left Watford in 1987.

While the United manager was a huge fan of the England winger, he believed he was already well-covered in that department with Jesper Olsen.

Olsen, though, failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford and did not last long under Ferguson.

Barnes, meanwhile, won two league titles and two FA Cups with Liverpool, was named PFA Player of the Year in 1988 and twice won the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year award, in 1988 and 1990.

GettyToni Kroos

Real Madrid and Germany legend Kroos is one of a stellar cast of midfielders David Moyes missed out on during his eight months in charge at Old Trafford.

Moyes believed he had a deal for Kroos lined up ahead of what would have been his second summer transfer window, placing the then-Bayern Munich star at the heart of his planne rebuild.

But the Scot didn’t even make it to the end of his first season at helm, with the Glazers pulling the plug on his tenure after a disastrous campaign saw United miss out on Champions League qualification.

Perhaps it would have been different had he landed either of his midfield targets the previous summer – Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas.

We will never know.